This invention relates generally to end closures for containers, and more specifically to plastic end closures which are child resistant or difficult for small children to open and which are suitable for containers containing insecticides, detergents, drain cleaners, and other household products which might be harmful if ingested.
Plastic end closures for containers may include a one-piece plastic lid which is snapped over the opening of the container as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,393. The container for this prior art safety closure is deformable to expose a bottom edge of the lid for removing the lid. The bottom edge which is so exposed is then lifted upwardly to remove the lid from the deformable container. Another prior art plastic end closure is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,961,132.
The end closure according to the present invention includes a stationary cap and a removable lid frictionally secured to the cap. The lid includes a generally flat round cover wall and an annular peripheral wall extending axially from the cover wall and terminating at a free edge. The juncture of the annular peripheral wall and the annular free edge define an annular peripheral bottom outside corner of the lid.
The cap includes an annular peripheral wall and a dispensing wall having openings for dispensing the product. The dispensing wall is axially recessed from the peripheral wall, and an annular safety wall extends axially between the peripheral wall and the dispensing wall. The dispensing wall and the safety wall cooperatively define an open ended recess in the cap.
The lid is received within the recess in the cap, and the annular safety wall of the cap closely confronts the annular peripheral wall and the annular peripheral outside corner of the lid about their entire annular extent. This limits access to the annular peripheral wall and to the annular peripheral outside corner of the lid so that removal of the lid from the cap by a child is prevented. As used herein, the word child refers particularly to a child whose age is less than 4 years.